


Vena Amoris: Till Death Do Us Apart

by LisaVanDerMolen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Broke Kageyama Tobio, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Relationship of Convenience, Rich Tsukishima Kei, but then like bam damn sham, kinda slowburn, will deal with lots of dualities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29423238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LisaVanDerMolen/pseuds/LisaVanDerMolen
Summary: Vena Amoris - Latin name meaning, "vein of love". Traditional belief established that this vein ran directly from the ring finger to the heart and thus is the reason why an engagement/wedding ring is placed on the fourth finger.Tobio Kageyama is drowning in unpaid bills while trying to provide for his sister's three children, as a broke twenty-four-year-old with no university degree working four jobs this is quite the task.Kei Tsukishima cannot seem to keep himself out of trouble due to ghosts haunting his consciousness, to make matters worse his mother has enough of his bullshit.Their paths intertwine and the solution to all their problems presents itself in the form of one big misunderstanding and leaked photos. It is a game of charades, and they are in it to win it.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	1. Feeling Like

Kei Tsukishima was many things, he was fucked up, a bastard, a rich heir who never had work in his life and he used to be a good son. Well as you can see in that list Kei Tsukishima was not a religious person, and if he was, he surely had a one-way ticket to hell or wherever bad people were condemned to. However, even though Kei was an atheist he ironically had a favorite bible story. He didn’t remember where he had first heard or read it, but it stayed with him throughout life. 

It was the story of Job, a good man who lost everything God had granted him as part of an experiment to test his faith. He lost everything, not as a punishment but to prove a point. Kei sometimes wondered if he was being punished or if the nightmare, he kept on reliving was a test. But why would he be tested? Kei didn’t know, because if his story was anything like Job’s he was surely to ignite more of God’s anger, simply for the fact that he did not believe in a higher power. 

Perhaps everything that happened was just all his sins from his previous lives finally catching up to him. Because why else would Kei be awake at such an early hour? Squinting at the iPad in his mother’s hands, with a pounding head, and bruised knuckles. 

The whole world a big blur, different events circling like vultures around in his head, the past and present all mixed up in a whirlwind of emotions. Until everything quietened, his mother’s clear voice cut through the mess inside his head. 

“Heir to the Tsukishima empire, Kei Tsukishima, caught in _yet_ another scandal,” she read, voice as soft as the calm before the storm,“this time the heir went to the popular bar and nightclub Boar Hat, which is well known among high ranking socialists, and hosts some of the best parties according to various sources. Apparently, the blond beat up one of his fellow partygoers, the circumstances remain uncertain, but according to--”

“--stop,” he muttered, having heard enough, it was always the same story in the end; Kei getting absolutely wasted and fighting somebody then coming back home to a big inevitable crash while drowning in red. The following morning his mother would lecture him about his reckless behavior. She always went easy on him as she understood his pain and knew why Kei felt the need to go out and get into fights to ruin his reputation. But the vicissitude of the seasons had finally arrived and like that her patience for his bullshit had run out. 

His mother sighed heavily,“you can’t keep this up Kei,” she said, her voice changing from her warm motherly tone to the coldness of Mai Tsukishima, the world renowned business tycoon, who was rumoured to have killed her late husband in order to inherit his company. 

Irritated he clicked his tongue, balling his fists up before opening them again, repeating the action several times. His knuckles ached, dark bruises covered his pale skin from black, blue ones to purple ones, barely having healed from the last time he beat somebody up, it was a wonder his hands hadn’t broken yet with the amount of fights he got into these last few months. 

Once upon a time Kei purely relied on his words to hurt people, wanting to get under their skin and irritate them like an itch they just couldn’t scratch. Those were now long forgotten days because he had sadly discovered how much better actions got the message across. It was a change from his privileged upbringing, having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. 

He looked up from his knuckles at his mother who stared at him with disappointment, the grey streaks in her hair and wrinkles near her eyes more prominent now, in his mansion where she could let her guard down and just be his mom. 

She looked tired having aged twenty years in the past year, Kei absolutely no help with everything they had lost. For a second Kei could hear a familiar voice calling his name in the distance, telling him to hurry up. Kei didn’t know why he had to hurry up, but the voice wouldn’t leave him alone no matter what he did. 

Shaking his head, he focused on his mother’s eyes, dark brown with specks of gold in them, dark circles beginning to appear underneath them. “Kei what happened?” she asked softly. 

Kei was reminded of the times when he was younger and there were demons underneath his bed, monsters in his closet which prevented him from sleeping. Causing him to demand she lay with him. Those days her gaze was filled with adoration, and love. Now the gaze was mixed with a deep buried sorrow and pain. 

“Nothing,” he muttered, trying to get himself to relax, averting his eyes from her. This was his mother for heaven’s sake, not somebody he could brush off through his words or his fists. “Absolutely nothing at all,” he muttered, ignoring the way the sunlight didn’t warm his house up the way it had once done. 

His mother sighed pinching the bridge of her nose before nodding walking to the door, she stopped in her tracks looking at him from over her shoulder, whispering,“don’t make the public your enemy Kei,” at last bringing the silent storm of the truth they were both hoping to avoid.

Kei refrained from lashing out at her, arming himself with knives and guns to cut her deep, make her hurt like him, because how the hell was, she so okay? So good at pretending? How did her mask not break? She walked away and all Kei was left with was an indescribable anger coursing through his veins.

* * *

Tobio’s hands shook as he read over the letter again, eyes filling up with tears, as he sat on the kitchen floor. What the hell was he going to do now? He regretted looking over at the stack of never-ending unpaid bills up on the counter that taunted him, telling him to hurry with his payments or there would be additional late fees. 

He couldn’t afford to pay them without the late fees and now they wanted to charge him more? How did any of this make sense? Tobio Kageyama, a somewhat healthy twenty-four-year-old, who had been destined for great things couldn’t afford to pay his phone and internet bill. How did that even happen? He had been destined for greatness...

The first tear slid down his cheek with no care in the world, taking its time, the calm before the storm that was about to follow with all it's thunder and lightning. Starting with a single droplet, something so small yet so powerful with its ability to unleash the burdens the clouds carried. 

Tobio wondered if that was the case for him as well - but what burdens would he be relieved off? The fact that his sister was dead leaving him as the guardian of her three children; or the hollowing guilt deep within his chest for having failed his nieces and nephew, condemning them to a life he had tried so hard to escape? 

He feared the day the children would be taken away from him, the day he would either hand them over to the state, or the people he himself had run away from. He wanted to keep them safe but looking at the stack he knew he was failing miserably. 

The storm roared, tears quickly falling down Tobio’s face barely grazing his skin, like a summertime lover, their touch gone before he could even realize they had happened. The cacophony followed shortly after, his sobs filling the space of the dingy kitchen in his one-bedroom apartment. 

His bones ached wanting him to collapse in on himself, worrying about tomorrow and what it would bring. A heavy leather belt sprung to the forefront of his mind; he saw the faces of the people he loved the most. Faded scars on his body burning with pain, Tobio knew that thinking about the past would do him no good, yet he couldn’t stop the way the darkness pulled him back in every time he tasted a bit of light. 

Hearing the quick patter of feet into the room Tobio quickly wiped his tears away, blinking rapidly, as two little girls looked up at him. Two sets of big blue eyes staring up at him unwavering, tides smothering him in the clearness of the ocean. 

Swallowing he smiled shakily,“good morning girls,” he whispered trying to stop his voice from breaking, reeling back the earth shattering storm brewing deep within him.

Kairi smiled, showing off her baby teeth,“morning unc’e Tobioh,” she greeted him, her hair messy, strands of inky black locks escaping from her braid, hair as untamable as the ocean itself in the early morning. Blue eyes sparkling like the way the waters did in the rising sun, drawing everybody in. 

Nami simply waved, unlike her older sister by twenty-two minutes she was quiet, didn’t like to speak, she was like the gentle rolling of waves on a warm sunny afternoon. But for all Nami’s calmness she was a tsunami once pushed too far, unlike Kairi whose anger silenced her into the unforgiving sea.

Tobio gave them a soft smile, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, before sighing deeply trying to calm his racing heart. He looked at his nieces, heart overcome with so much love and adoration and the want to give them everything. Everything he didn’t have from birthday parties to abundant amounts of love so that they knew they were wanted. But here he was struggling to stay afloat while giving them the bare minimum with only a high school diploma and long-lost dreams. 

“What do you guys want to eat?” he asked softly. 

Kairi scrunched up her nose, looking so much like Miwa that it physically hurt Tobio, his sister fading further away from him with each passing day. The sea and waves pushing her further away from him, having slipped through his fingers before he even realized he was losing her. 

“Why did you cry?” she asked instead of telling him what she wanted to eat.

“Kairi, I did no--"

“Sad?” Nami cut him off, innocently blinking, way too perceptive for a four-year-old. 

Tobio bit his bottom lip, before shaking his head,“no I’m just...I’m...I’m uhm thinking, yeah I was just thinking.”

“Why?” Kairi asked. 

Tobio shook his head,“what did you guys want to eat for breakfast?” he asked changing the topic, hoping they wouldn’t call him out on it. 

Kairi frowned, clearly wanting to say something else when Nami cut her off,“I wan’a eat cereahl with milhk.” 

Kairi huffed, crossing her arms over each other,“me too!” she yelled. 

Rubbing his hands together, he exhaled through his nose,“alrighty two bowls of cereal with milk.”

The girls both looked at him with concern, Tobio wanted to hold them, press them close to his chest, so that they could hear and feel the love he had for them in his heart. Tell them they all would be okay, to play like children, but he couldn’t make any promises, not with the stack of unpaid bills that taunted him. 

So instead, he leaned forwards pressing three kisses on their faces, one on the right cheek, the other on the left, finishing up with a soft kiss on the nose. They smiled at him, giggling into their soft little hands, Tobio flashed them a quick watery smile before getting up to prepare them breakfast.

* * *

Kei clenched his jaw, fists balled by his sides as he stared with disbelief at his mother,“what do you mean I have to volunteer at a daycare?” he hissed softly, head still pounding from all the alcohol he had consumed the night before, added on with his brain desperately trying to figure out what exactly happened. 

His mother didn’t pay him any attention, her heels clicking on the wooden floor of the living room in his mansion. Kei wanted to tell her to stop, wanted to kick her out, scream at her to leave him alone, let him rot and become one with the wood underneath his feet that would decay one day, instead he bit his tongue, the venom tasting bitter. 

“You have been hell bent on making people angry at you, as the heir to _our_ company we cannot afford the public hating you. Who knows when they will turn against us _again?_ ” she said, moving with ease in his living room past the pure white couches, and pure black glass coffee table, a minimalistic approach to his house, because less was more right? After all everybody who knew the story of Job knew that the less you had to lose the better, who knew when your faith would be put to the test. 

The fires around him burned faster, hotter than ever before, he wanted to release the venom spewing at his mother, hurt her the way he was hurting, haunted with ghosts of the past, instead he swallowed,“so, you want me to volunteer at a daycare?” he asked slowly.

“Yes,” his mother answered completely unaware of how there was fire licking at their heels, waiting to eat them whole and spit them out. 

“Let me just donate money,” he muttered, not understanding how his mother wasn’t burning like he was. Feeling the heat crawl up from the bottom of his feet as he stood on the cool floor that became hotter the further his mother walked away from him, her heels never stopping with their clicking, echoing around him fading until it filled his ears with the sound of swords clanging together, with every step she took the swords met in the middle. 

“Money will not buy your way out of this scandal Kei,” she said, turning her attention away from him, eyes focused on the IPad in her hands, no doubt reading the important documents of the business transaction that was supposed to take place in Singapore in three weeks. 

“But I--” Kei choked, tendrils of smoke flaring around him as he heard a familiar laugh echoing in his ears, telling him to hurry up if he didn’t want to be late. Late for what? 

Kei never heard the answer as his mother interrupted his thoughts, her voice leaving no room for any arguments,“unless you stop getting into fights every time you go out, there is absolutely no way you will be able to pay your way out of the messes you create,” dark brown eyes narrowed at him, the hotness in the room dissipated as his mother’s glare caused chills to run down his arms,“do not forget how hard _I_ had to work to make this company something after _everything_ that happened.”

Kei swallowed, nodding slowly,“okay,” he said, accepting defeat,“what’s the plan?” 

“You’ll start volunteering at the daycare inconspicuously, then after a week or so the story about how you are helping children will get leaked to social media.” 

Kei raised his eyebrow,“why do we have to wait a week?”

“So that people don’t suspect it is a PR stunt.”

Kei clicked his tongue. It made sense somewhere he supposes, but then why would the social media post say he was helping children? Narrowing his eyes at his mother he asked,“how exactly am I going to help children? it’s a daycare...I’m just going to be babysitting them.”

“A daycare near the hospital that is mainly used by low-income families.”

“Isn’t that,” Kei frowned, snapping his finger trying to remember the _humanitarian_ who had started a daycare like that. It appeased the public, but everybody born in wealth knew it was a front to avoid paying taxes while collecting money, because it was a _charity._ “That one guy,” he shook his head, the hammer pounding his brain making it quite impossible to remember the humanitarian’s name or face. 

“It’s Gloxinia,” his mother answered unbothered, still scrolling on her iPad. 

If Kei was a tad bit younger, he might have asked his mother’s connection to Gloxinia, but to know less was more in the case of knowledge. So he kept his mouth shut,“when do I start?” 

“Tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?!”

“Tomorrow.” 

Mai Tsukishima was a force to be reckoned with a tsunami hiding behind an innocent looking wave. One would be stupid to anger such a force of nature, and Kei for all his stupidity in the past year knew he had reached his mother’s patience. She was done with all his bullshit. Because for all her patience and warm motherly nature there was something dangerous lingering beneath it all. Something so dangerous it was feral almost - the unspoken need to protect her youngest son from the public, rearing its head with every scandal Kei got in, causing more and more people to become angry at him - ready for blood. 

So he sighed deeply, shoulders slumping over, showing her that he conceded with her wishes,“no bodyguards though,” he muttered. 

His mother remained silent, assessing him carefully, going over the pros and cons, looking at her son’s request from every single angle possible to make sure he didn’t deceive her. “Why?” she asked after a beat of silence passed, both mother and son armed with swords having forgone their shields. 

“It’s for the public,” Kei said, looking directly into his mother’s eyes, which was quite the feat as she was only five-foot-five-inches tall, compared to his own six-foot-five-inch self. Meeting her gaze head on he turned her own attack against her, quoting her own words back. “Which means they are the ones who need to be fooled that this isn’t a PR stunt.” 

“Why would you forgo the bodyguards, people are angry beings, if offended they will not stop until they have told you how you wronged them,” she quieted, monetarily lowering her sword, lost in a mist that revealed those passed on, shaking her head she pulled herself together,“people won’t rest until you have paid their price for your actions. You know this Kei,” she whispered. 

Kei clicked his tongue again, feeling the tendrils of the mist that had enveloped his mother doing the same to him. Except he swallowed loudly, looking at the ceiling, his head hurt...why couldn’t they have done this in his bedroom? 

“Kei?” his mother’s voice brought him back, Kei wondered if she finally felt the hellfire that surrounded them. 

“It doesn’t make sense, you said we would leak the story, so it seems like I do it out of the good of my heart...right?” he asked lowering his head. 

“Yes.” 

“So then why would I need bodyguards if the public was never meant to know I’m volunteering to begin with?” Kei withheld his smirk as he saw the frown on his mother’s face, she had raised him well.

Swords were raised waiting to meet in the middle with a clang deciding which Tsukishima would be the last one standing. Both stubborn, like mother like son, and yet their hostility came from someplace else. Came with the air of guilt both lowering their swords as they remembered what had happened a year ago. Too many things left unsaid, and too many years spent in avoidance out of anger.

His mother sighed softly, once again reminding Kei how time was catching up to her, the stress of everything slowly weighing her down with each passing moment that Kei got into another scandal. He wanted to feel guilty, bad, but he was empty all his compassion and empathy directed to what had happened a year prior, fourteen months to be exact. 

“Alright,” she whispered, accepting defeat the same way Kei had done. 

“Okay,” Kei said.

They both knew the bodyguards would be there, just because they weren’t visible didn’t mean they wouldn’t be there. Both Tsukishima’s had lost their faith in humanity, knowing damn well what people were capable of unprovoked.

* * *

When Tobio was twelve years old he first encountered the awful side of the hospital. The side where no healing was happening. Only the lessening of pain until death would come. He would continue to encounter that side until he was fourteen, when lessening the pain didn’t help and death had come. 

Tobio thought that would be the last time he would run into that awful side of the place that was supposed to heal. He truly thought that the duality of the hospital would end there for him...but it didn’t. He encountered it again when he was eighteen, during summer, followed by a crash burning his dreams in fire and smoke. 

He thought that was the last time, but then he encountered it again when he was twenty, that time wasn’t that bad. It was still awful, however this time he was once again a mere observer, pacing in the waiting room, because something was wrong. And everything was happening too fast for him to comprehend. 

Two years passed by in peace, the duality of the hospital long forgotten, new dreams slowly building up at night, lulling him into a blissful rest. That all changed though when he was twenty-two years old, and everything went up in fire again, this time adding in the factor of salty water and agonized screams. 

That was the first encounter, the second one was less pretty. It was gruesome, horrifying, Tobio left the hospital with more responsibilities on his shoulders than he could carry. He supposes that’s when the drowning began, pushing him underneath every wave that lapped at his body. 

And now at the age of twenty-four he was here once again. This time he was desperate, willing to get on his knees and beg for a miracle. He wanted to believe in a higher power that would save him. Bring him salvation at last as the ice-cold water had finally managed to freeze him up, chaining him to the dark ocean floor. 

Because here Tobio was seated opposite Mildred, his social worker, he was looking at her hands, wrinkled white with obvious blue veins showing underneath saggy skin as she intertwined her fingers together, giving him horrible, awful news. He avoided meeting her eyes, not wanting to see the pity on her face, and not wanting her to see the shame on his own.

“I am really sorry Tobio,” she once again apologized. 

Tobio didn’t know what to say. He was speechless having listened to her for the past ten minutes explaining how he is making too much to qualify for the benefits. “I...I,” he stammered trying to process everything,“I don’t understand,” he finally settled on, because he didn’t understand, he was still a low-income household...so why were his benefits cut off? 

She took his hands in her cold ones, making him look up at her, hazel eyes meeting his own, his tired reflection greeting him in their clearness,“the medical team cannot provide Kaito the care he needs until you pay his outstanding balance.” 

Furrowing his brows, Tobio shook his head pulling his hands out of her grip and grabbing the letter he had gotten that said his hospital expenses were covered. “But here it says they are covered,” he said. 

Mildred took the letter, putting the glasses resting on top of her head on her face, she silently read it over before sighing deeply, looking tired. Tobio sometimes wondered how old she was. When she talked to him, she seemed younger than her body would make you think. 

“That,” she inhaled, shaking her head,“that was the case when you were still in the bracket to qualify for benefits.” 

“But I...how did...why?”

“Why aren’t you qualified anymore?”

Silently nodding Tobio watched her, observing her every move. Trying to find a weakness, a bluff that would tell him that she was joking. This was all one big fat joke, nothing more, and nothing less.

“Did you take on another job or money-making avenue?” she asked, already sentencing Tobio guilty of a crime he didn’t know he committed. 

“Yes, I took on a job as a waiter,” he whispered. 

She sighed,“you are making too much to qualify for the benefits because the government thinks you have gotten enough money to survive, with all the jobs you work.” 

Money equals power, everybody knows this even small children who don’t know the value of money know its powers. They know that as long as they have a green bill in their hands, they will be able to buy something they like. Once those kids grow up, they start to understand the value of money and the hard work that goes into it. 

Tobio himself was smacked in the face with the realization that he would never have enough money to be able to stop working as hard as he did, pushing his body to the limit, trying to provide for his nieces and nephew. It was a sad truth, but it was his, and he supposes that mattered somewhere, in this moment however it was a slap to his face.

“But I...I need that job to pay for the medicines that aren’t covered and...and...and I need to pay for the daycare!” he tried to protest hoping that maybe, just maybe Mildred could change this sad truth of his.

“I know that Tobio, but the government doesn’t...and they don’t care.”

“But what about the hospital?”

Tobio knew all about the duality of the hospital, still his heart had the audacity to flicker a bit with hope that maybe this time would be different. This time instead of a business thriving off capitalism the hospital would finally become the place of healing Tobio needed it to be. 

“They need you to pay for the last doctor’s visit and the tests done on Kaito before they will proceed with the surgery.”

“But I can’t...I can’t afford that!” 

“If you cannot keep up with the payments...it might be time to find a place with a family member who can afford the children before the CPS gets involved.”

If the CPS got involved the chances of Tobio getting the kids back would be slim, many many social workers had reminded him of that after Miwa’s death when he had gotten full custody of the children. 

Shaking his head Tobio looked down at his trembling hands,“I’ll uhm...I’ll figure something out, don’t get the CPS involved.” 

“I can get you an extension period of eighteen days to figure everything out.”

Balling his fists up he nodded, whispering a soft,“thank you,” knowing damn well that eighteen days wasn’t enough time, that he needed more. But he also knew it was a longer than usual extension period, it was generous, and the best Mildred could do, Tobio couldn’t hate her for that. He couldn’t hate her for trying even though the longer he sat across from her, the more he could see her hatred for her job. 

Tobio wondered if she got the job in hopes to change lives for the better, if for a while she had changed lives before realizing that she did more damage than good. He wondered how many others had sat in the chair across from hers, told that they wouldn’t receive any more benefits. To how many people had she read an inexorable death sentence, unable to help them the way she wanted? How many people had sat in the chair he was sitting on as a testament of their last moments on earth? 

If Tobio had a bigger heart he would weep for her, alas, he didn’t, because poor Tobio Kageyama had barely enough room to cry over his own sorrows and his inability to raise his sister’s children like they deserved to. He only had eighteen days to figure out a way to pay for Kaito's hospital bills and the other unpaid bills, otherwise he would have to dial the number that haunted him even in his sleep. The number he committed to memory in order to never pick up the call if it ever appeared on his screen. 


	2. Knight in Shining Armour

When his mother had told him, he had to babysit Kei hadn’t expected her to mean that his work day would start at six in the morning. Didn’t she know he slept at four? Which led to him waking up well past noon. Maybe that’s why she did this, she wanted him to return to his responsible self, the person he had stopped being fourteen months ago when he realized it didn’t matter. 

While he knew that, he was still here at Gloxinia’s daycare, The Fairy King Forest, already surrounded by children even though the sun hadn’t risen yet, snuggly hiding itself beneath the earth knowing that the short days in January didn’t need it to rise early. 

The only good thing about this whole ordeal was the fact that all the seven children currently present seemed to be afraid of him. Kei counted this as a win since they avoided him like the plague, it was also quite funny how they already had made up elaborate backstories for him whispering it to each other, and then disagreeing about his origins. Some children thought he was a giant, others thought he was a dragon, there was even a child who said he was a frog, Kei ignored that one, but overall, they had reached a consensus that Kei was a monster. 

Which wasn’t that bad considering that they stayed away from him, and avoided eye contact with him, quickly looking the other way whenever he met their gaze. He had accidentally made a kid burst out in tears when he raised an eyebrow while smirking as the little boy wouldn’t stop staring at him. 

In Kei’s defense though he didn’t think the child would cry like that, sobbing dramatically, continuing on even when the tears stopped, as he was just screaming. Two other children joined in and Kei just stood there watching them cry, wondering where his supervisor Diane was, while being grateful that he had never accidentally knocked somebody up. 

He would be a terrible parent, and this was just a testimony of that as he continued to stare at three crying children until Diane rushed in to comfort them, coming from god knows where, shooting Kei a glare as if she wasn’t the one who left him unsupervised, knowing damn well he didn’t have any experience with children.

One of the children cried so much they actually puked, and Diane had simply handed Kei a bucket and a mop, wishing him good luck. She handed Kei who never in his life had to deal with children or vomit a bucket and a mop. Humbling him in a way his enemies wished they could.

* * *

Exhaustion seeped out of Tobio’s body, warning everybody to stay away from him with every step he trudged moving between the tables and the kitchen. He had stayed up all night trying to find jobs that paid in cash...and under the table. He couldn’t afford to pay more taxes, every single penny he would earn had to go to the hospital before he could even think of something else. 

Once all his debt to the hospital was paid off, he could finally go through the stack of unpaid bills resting in the first cupboard, hidden behind colorful cups and glasses so that Tobio could fool himself in the comforts of colors that life wasn’t that bad. That he didn’t need to call _them_ , he was petrified of the day that would happen. 

He could just smell the amber coloured alcohol, and hear the shrill screams hurdling sharp cut insults at him. It was too much...he couldn’t call that number...he couldn’t. So, he had spent all night calling long disabled numbers, and scouring the internet, neither his phone nor the internet giving him any guerdons for his efforts.

So, he slogged on, feet hurting with every step he took, begging him to sit down, take a rest from the strenuous task of standing upright for twelve plus hours. The veins on his hand were prominent, pushed to their limits with the balancing of trays he did. The Absalom was the French restaurant Tobio worked in, it was beyond expensive, one of the most expensive places in America. Only rich people came to dine here since it cost about $355 per person to dine here, and that was without the drinks.

Surprisingly, the restaurant never experienced slow hours, no matter how much Tobio wished it would. But then again if the restaurant experienced slow hours how would Tobio be able to make his living off the tips the patrons gave? Just because this was a restaurant frequented by the rich it didn’t mean that he made more than the two-dollar thirteen cent minimum wage. 

Tobio knew that there were regulations in place so that the owners couldn’t exploit their workers but those didn’t work. Because how the hell were people who barely made a living wage supposed to hire lawyers that could fight for their rights? And sure, hiring a lawyer and suing the place is a bit extreme, but talking to owners was a no go as well, Tobio had painfully learned that when he was nineteen and stood up for himself. He should be proud for taking such a big step but even to this day he feels the humiliation in the pits of his stomach when he got fired in front of a crowd of high schoolers that didn’t stop laughing at him while he walked out of the door.

Ergo to his life right now, where he knew that he needed the tips of the customers to make a living wage, since asking for a higher minimum wage was guaranteed to get him fired. He had taken this job with the hope that the rich tipped well - news flash: they didn’t - Tobio was lucky if he got five dollars. Tobio wonders if that’s why they were so rich, because of their ability to hoard their money.

But then there were the wealthy patrons who could tip a thousand at a time. Before this job he hadn’t known about the difference between wealthy and rich. He thought they were all the same, however there was merit to the phrase ‘money talks, wealth whispers’, he had seen it multiple times here in the restaurant. Sure, everybody who came dressed fancy, because that was the dress code but the difference was astounding once he knew what to look for. 

Some people came in flashing expensive jewelry and clothes, drawing everybody’s attention to their red bottoms by mentioning them at least three times and how comfortable they were. They would also loudly proclaim the struggles of not knowing whether to buy a private jet or another mansion, often opting to do both when they noticed anybody beneath them walking by. These were the people that would criticize him for any and everything, often leaving a tip beneath ten dollars. These were the so-called rich. 

The wealthy came dressed in tailored suits to perfection, and shoes that looked comfortable. They didn’t have any flashiness to them, but some people did wear fancy watches, that Tobio personally saw no use for. These people also had hushed conversations about anything but money or politics, they talked about the wife, the kids, and whatever was trending. They didn’t draw any attention to themselves, but these were the people that left behind big bucks. 

Most of that money went to the owner's pocket, but if you were quick enough and lucky you could snag some of bills up for yourself hiding it underneath the tray while bringing their used dishes back to the kitchen. That was only if they tipped in cash - surprisingly most did. 

Tobio wondered if these people knew that the waiters didn’t see the tipped money through a debit or credit card anywhere but the receipt. He supposes that they did know because why else would they bother carrying cash with them all the time when their bank accounts according to rumours were loaded?

Well, it didn’t matter because Tobio knew he wasn’t going to get tipped well tonight. He had been assigned to a table of loud men that bragged about their income, and everything they were going to buy. Tobio wished he could be sanguine through this all, but every hopeful thought left his body as he was sent back to the kitchen again by the group of men because they didn’t like their dish. 

Bringing the dish back to the kitchen, Josephine the head chef stared at it in distaste,“again?” she asked. 

Tobio nodded, watching her vehemently shake her head, murmuring curse words in French, she barked at the kitchen staff to hurry up. Tobio walked over to his fellow waiter Mario who was also waiting,“hi,” he muttered as a soft greeting. 

Mario nodded his head,“did you hear the news floatin’ around Tobio?” 

Tobio shook his head, wondering what Mario could have possibly heard during rush hour.

“Apparently we gotta big man tonight, a famous heir to a big corporation is dining tonight.”

“Your table?” Tobio asked. 

Mario sniffed shaking his head, curly brown locks swaying side to side,“nah man luck is not on my side tonight just a bunch of cougars.” 

Tobio bit his bottom lip, staring at the yellow tiled kitchen floor so different from the elegant décor in the restaurant, a bunch of cougars were better than a bunch of old guys. At least Mario could make them tip by smiling in their directions while there was nothing Tobio could do. 

“But it’s a good thing I suppose.” 

“Why?” 

“Cuz I heard the bastard is cold as hell, he is known for making people cry. Pretty sure there was rumour of him beatin’ somebody up as well.”

Tobio frowned, scrunching his nose up,“what’s his name?” he asked.

Mario opened his mouth to reply when Josephine called Tobio’s name. Turning around to grab the trays, Tobio wondered who this mean heir could be, probably an old guy who just looked greedy. Maybe it was one of the men seated at his table tonight, Tobio hoped that wasn’t the case, he was too tired to perform his best tonight just wanting to go home and lay on his shitty mattress as the girls took the bed, and Kaito lay in his crib. But he couldn't because he needed to earn money to provide for them. 

Inhaling deeply he kept on moving even though his legs and feet begged him to stop, he had to work for the girls who were with his sweet neighbor that watched them when he went to work at night, and Kaito who was in the hospital surrounded by strangers, he had to work for them. 

* * *

Everybody who knew Kei knew that he came a long way from his salty bastardly self that he had flaunted with so much pride in high school - and according to Yamaguchi also in middle school - but Kei denied that because he was literally a kid. 

However, this progress all seemed to have gotten lost in the last year, not that anybody could blame him. Because they themselves were also still trying to come to grips with what happened. Coming from wealth had consequences they knew that but still seeing them so publicly made them understand why the bourgeois had fled France after the revolution. 

So here Kei found himself, sitting across Kyoutani and Koganegawa, whom he knew in high school but never really interacted with until university when they all shared the same biology class in their first year. He didn’t think they would be able to maintain contact but was proven wrong. Somehow, they remained friends, not that Kei was necessarily complaining. It was a nice change from Tadashi-I-Know-All-Your-Secrets-Yamaguchi, Hitoka-I-Know-What-Your-Thinking-Yachi, and Shouyou-I-Will-Drag-You-Into-Doing-Dumb-Shit-With-Me-Without-Consent-Hinata. 

With these two he didn’t have to worry about any blackmail from elementary courtesy of Yamaguchi and his impeccable memory or Yachi’s blondpathy as she liked to call it that somehow always let her know what was on his mind or Hinata’s powers of persuasion. Kei blamed witchcraft for all three of these powers, sure he didn’t believe in the supernatural, but it made no sense how much power his friends held over him. So, he was rather glad he could just keep his thoughts to himself tonight. 

Kei silently watched Koganegawa and Kyoutani argue about the meaning of kenopsia and whether or not it could be experienced in ghost towns. He knew he could chime in if he wanted to, but it was funny to see two aspiring veterinarians passionately arguing about something besides animals. Then again, these two idiots would somehow manage to link it back to an apocalypse and how vets would save the world. 

A part of him wanted to be present, wanting to join the conversation, disagree with them just to see them fired up. But he couldn’t find it in himself to do so, felt detached from the world, from the table they were sitting at in the restaurant eating the Hors d'oeuvre served as the appetizers for their eight-course meal. It felt all so far away from him, even the bustling of waiters as they went in and out of the kitchen was too far for him to notice. 

There used to be a time when his anxiety held him back from conversing with strangers, always so worried about what they would think of him. Until those murmurs got replaced with ghosts that didn’t stop haunting him, at first, they were faceless, then at last they got a face, morphing into somebody so familiar he could hear echoes of their voice in his ears. There is something ironic somewhere in there. 

Kei grabbed his glass of water taking a sip, slightly tilting his head back he looked up at the ceiling, the chandeliers with white crystals twinkled brightly, against the ceilings back colour, mimicking stars in the night sky. It left many in awe, people who saved up to dine here often spent most of their evening with their heads tilted upwards. Completely entranced with such simple sophistication. 

Yet here Kei was staring with boredom, missing his shitty eyesight that blurred out anything not important to him in the far distance. Getting laser eye surgery probably wasn’t the best route of action for him since he somehow managed to become more judgmental because he was able to see people in HD. He could not even enjoy using the excuse of telling people that the reason he didn’t greet them was because he wasn’t wearing his glasses. 

Somehow everybody knew he had perfect vision now and expected him to greet them whenever he ran into them. And who was he to not greet them? Most of these people were important business partners of his mother. One red mark through his name in their books would mean the end of the Tsukishima empire, as the heir he couldn’t let this happen, no matter how much he wanted too sometimes. 

He wishes he was just a tad bit more selfish. That he was able to look away from the way his mother struggles to keep the company afloat after the death of his father and the rumours surrounding his passing, some blatantly accusing her of murder. He wished he was able to forget the way she used to cry on the kitchen floor, sobbing in her hands about how she couldn’t do it anymore. 

A diamond armour had built itself around her, impenetrable it seemed until it was broken into small pieces, the same day Kei began to despise the social class he was born in. He wanted to change it, wanted to fight the public but he couldn’t afford his mother shedding anymore tears. 

Kyoutani had his eyebrow raised snapping his finger in front of Kei’s face,“you good?” he asked.

Kei merely nodded, slowly moving his glass in circles watching the ice cubes follow the water’s lead before taking another sip. He was itching...itching for things he knew were bad for him, wanted to order some alcohol, smoke a cigar, leave his body in this world as his brain was tripping. 

But he knew he couldn’t. He had to change his own ways if he didn’t want his mother to step in and take drastic measures to get him back on the right track again, like she had done with the whole babysitting thing. 

Thus, Kei refrained from the alcohol and kept on sipping his water, ignoring the way his friends shared worried glances at his silence. Koganegawa frowned deeply, never having been one to keep things to himself, he asked,”Kei are you okay? You don’t look good.” 

Kei merely raised an eyebrow hiding his smirk behind his glass as Kyoutani pinched Koganegawa’s arm. “Whaaat?” Koganegawa yelped, rubbing his arm up and down staring daggers at Kyoutani. 

Kyoutani shook his head,“ignore him,” he muttered, looking Kei straight in the eyes, concern very clear despite his many piercings and tattoos peeking out from beneath his dress shirt. 

Kyoutani hated going out to fancy restaurants, hated the etiquette attached to it, never been to one before high school when he got together with his one and off boyfriend. Koganegawa had never been to one before meeting Kei and didn’t mind coming as long as the food was good. 

Normally they all would have gone to a burger joint together, but Kei didn’t feel like that, after the day he had he wanted the best service that came attached with his last name. Wanted the privileges that came with being a Tsukishima and the best of the best treatment, having had it with young children who only screamed, and Diane who kept shooting him dirty glares. Just treat his friends and himself to a good dinner. 

Everything would have gone perfectly as well if it wasn’t for the fact that he kept on hearing crude comments coming from a table behind Kyoutani and Koganegawa. He watched a group of old guys harass a male waiter, Kei couldn’t make out what they were saying but by the back and forward between the table and the kitchen he was pretty sure that they weren’t satisfied with their food. 

He looked at the waiter’s back as he perfectly carried a tray full of filled glasses of water with ice, balancing it on his fingers. Shaking his head, he returned his attention back to his friends who looked at him with worry, putting his glass of water down, Kei undid his cuff button, moving the cotton fabric out of his way in order to scratch the tattoo on his right forearm, his first very tattoo followed by many. 

He remembered obsessing over getting the design right, in the end settling for a dragon tattoo that Yachi designed. It was supposed to be small, however that didn’t happen, the tattoo somehow turned into a half-sleeve one, starting from his wrist and ending at his elbow. The design was filled with intricacies and little easter eggs, from the birthdates of his family members to the style itself, which was Japanese, a nod to his background, this all came together into a beautiful black, white, and red dragon. This was all a courtesy from Yachi who had taken days out of her schedule to help Satori Tendou, his tattoo artist, make it possible and Kei couldn’t be more grateful. 

He then moved to scratch the tiny sword tattoo behind his ear, pursing his lips together as he thought of something to say to eliminate the worried glances on his friends’ faces. 

Swallowing he opened his mouth letting out a yelp when coldness overtook his lap, and a loud crash was heard, Koganegawa let out a yell while Kyoutani clenched his jaw, fists raised. Kei wanted to berate whoever was dumb enough to spill water on his lap when all the words died on the tip of his tongue. And all he could see were clear blue eyes, widened in shock.

* * *

It had happened so fast Tobio didn’t even realize his knees banged against the cold hardwood floor and the tray had gone flying out of his hands spilling all over somebody until his eye met gold. The man in question raised his eyebrows, and Tobio swallowed, ears heating up with embarrassment as he slowly got up. 

He didn’t know what happened but from the snickering coming from behind him it didn’t take much of a guess that somebody purposefully had knocked him over. Tobio had been sent to the bar by the annoying table after he brought them their food, to get them ice cold water. Obeying he returned with their glasses of water, only to be told that they had changed their minds and wanted vodkas on the rock. Withholding a sigh, he made his way back to the bar only to feel himself being pushed which led to his current predicament. 

“I’m uh...I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying to not let the panic show on his face as he worried about the glass and the water seeping through the man’s pants. This was bad...really really bad. If Tobio didn’t desperately need this job he would have acknowledged the fact that the man was hot with his wavy blond hair, golden eyes, pierced ears that had black studs in them and the glimpse of the tattoo Tobio got.

But Tobio needed this job desperately so he didn’t acknowledge the man’s beauty, instead he sucked his cheek in, biting on it as he tried to think of the next appropriate course of action. He had apologized at least that was a start, but what did he do now? Did he pick up the glass pieces with his bare hands? Run back to the kitchen to grab a broom? Apologize again? Bending down he grabbed the tray, holding it as a shield for the judgmental looks thrown at him, burning his back. 

His worries were for nothing as his manager burst through the kitchen doors, swinging them open. Every step he took shook the floor, slowly getting up from the ground, a faded pain in his lower back and neck ignited when George’s angry face entered Tobio’s vision. 

Mouth dry he watched George stop in front of him. George was a small man with a pencil moustache, permanent frown marks adorning his forehead. Tobio had never seen him smile, even the kitchen staff quietened whenever he entered the place. According to Mario, George also stole from their tips, Tobio could believe it since the man drove a Maserati. Tobio himself didn’t have a license and didn’t know much about cars but it looked pretty expensive. 

“Mister Tsukishima I am so sorry for this incompetent fool,” George hissed through gritted teeth. “He is a newbie, I knew I shouldn’t have hired him but there will be consequences for his actions, please do not let this fool’s mistake ruin your experience of our lovely restaurant.” He then fully turned his attention to Tobio, jabbing his pointy finger into Tobio’s shoulder, “are you blind? Deaf? Can’t you see where you are walking? You are an absolute imbecile Tobio!” he yelled, enunciating every single syllable in Tobio's name. 

Tobio bit his lip, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall down his cheeks, empty tray pressed against his stomach, his knuckles white with how tight he was clenching it, cheeks heating up with embarrassment at the humiliation of being berated in front of the patrons.

Growing up Tobio was always described as a stubborn fool, that Tobio would have probably thrown the empty trays in his hands at George. But this didn't do that, _no_ , his twenty-four-year-old self just stood there in silence. Avoiding George’s eyes by looking at the wet ground, hearing murmurs from all around him, face feeling impossibly warm. If there was one thing rich people loved more than outdoing each other it was drama they could enjoy from a safe distance, and a waiter getting chewed out was therefore the obvious entertainment. 

He could hear their whispers about how Tobio was going to get fired now. How he had managed to spill water on a famous heir who was known to be ruthless with a tongue that could cut through steel. Tobio rapidly blinked, trying to not humiliate himself further, the faces of his nieces and nephew popping up on the forefront of his mind reminded him of why he was doing this, mixed in with the echoing sound of leather hitting flesh and the reeking smell of alcohol. 

His manager took a deep breath, Tobio closed his eyes ready for the next wave of insults when there was silence. The silence before a disaster? Hopeful the worst was yet to come and thus not too bad? Or the silence after a disaster? Knowing that the worse was so much more than expected? Was it a mixture of both? The silence of when you thought you were in the clear before being blindsided by all things bad. Tobio didn’t know, and part of him didn’t want to find out. 

Most people learned to bite their tongues by working in customer service, to swallow down the need to defend themselves. That wasn’t the case for Tobio, no, he had learned quite early on in life to just take the words empty beer bottles were hurled at him, missing him by a hair’s width before clattering and breaking onto the floor, the same way the glass full of ice water had. 

He always took whatever was thrown at him with his head bowed down, not trying to anger them more by showing defiance and meeting their eyes. But today….today was different - not in the sense that he finally stood up for himself but - 

Slowly lifting his gaze up from the floor, he looked at his manager, who had an angry red flush to him, steam practically rolling out of his ears, yet he remained completely silent. Tobio wondered what alternate dimension he had rolled into, moving his head, his eyes searching for the cause to everybody’s silence, when he saw the blond man holding up his hand. 

“Are you okay?” the blond asked, looking directly at Tobio. 

Tobio frowned, surely the man couldn’t be talking to him, could he? Tobio stared at the man’s lap which was still wet, extremely noticeable with the grey pants he was wearing. Looking behind him Tobio made sure the man wasn’t talking to him when golden eyes met him again, a smirk playing on the man’s lips. 

“Yeah you, the waiter” he said, still holding his hand up,“who spilled water all over me,” he added graciously, smirk widening as Tobio flushed. 

“Sorry,” he muttered again, protectively holding the tray against his chest, a shield ready to protect him from whatever the blond might say to him. Were the rumours around them true? Was this truly the heir with a tongue sharper than a knife? Did the man want to berate Tobio himself? Adding salt to an already open injury. 

“Don’t mention it,” he said, returning his attention to Tobio’s manager,“next time you decide to yell at somebody make sure you yell at the right person.”

“I...I,” his manager stammered,“he spilled water all over you,” his manager gestured to the man’s lap. 

The man rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed,“yes because he was pushed by those men.” 

\- today was different because for once somebody stood up for Tobio. Eyes wide he looked at the man with shock. Why would the mean heir defend him? Defend the guy who had accidentally spilled water all over his lap. 

Heart racing in his chest Tobio looked at George who didn’t say anything, clearly afraid of the power the blond held. The blond sighed loudly, looking George directly in the eyes,“clean up this mess, kick those guys,” he pointed at the table of men who had made Tobio’s night an utter hell,“out.” 

Tobio tried to keep the smile on his face as all the guys lost colour on their face, but nobody tried to object to the blond who got up from his seat. Surprising Tobio with how tall he was, easily towering over him, which wasn’t quite easy since Tobio himself was well over six-feet-tall. 

“Can you show me where the bathroom is?” he asked, looking directly into Tobio’s eyes. 

Awkwardly handing the empty tray to George who silently fumed Tobio nodded, turning around, touching his face that burned. They walked in silence to the restrooms, Tobio pointed at the doors,“here you go,” he murmured. 

The blond stepped around Tobio, hand resting on the door handle, their eyes meeting in the middle as Tobio looked at his own reflection drowning in gold,“try no to spill something on me the next time we meet,” the man smirked. 

Opening and closing his mouth, Tobio shook his head,“it was an accident.” 

The man narrowed his eyes, fully submerging Tobio’s reflection in gold,“yeah I know,” he answered,“but people often do try to get my attention in the most _desperate_ ways possible.” 

Frowning at the man Tobio shook his head,“next time I’ll do it on purpose,” he whispered underneath his breath, hoping the man didn’t hear him since he was still on the clock. 

“Now now is that any way to speak to your saviour _Tobio_?” the man said clearly having heard the comment.

Sharply sucking in a breath, Tobio crossed his arms over each other, not liking the way the blond knew his name, it definitely had nothing to do with how smoothly the syllables rolled over his tongue as he had said it,“that’s not my name,” he blurted out before he could think of a way to stop the man.

The blond raised an eyebrow,“oh is that so?” he asked,“then what is your name not-Tobio.”

Tobio knew the bastard was purposely trying to antagonize him, and he knew that the other man knew he was succeeding with getting under his skin. So Tobio did what any rational human being who just lied about his name would do, racking his brain for a name he could only think of one name,“King?”

“What?” 

“My name is King,” Tobio whispered again, internally cursing himself. 

Slowly nodding his head, the man smiled as if he had seen something funny,“alrighty _King_ ,” he said,“try not to think about me tonight. I’d like to sleep.” 

Tobio rolled his eyes,“don’t flatter yourself,” he said, biting his tongue, turning around, knowing that this man still had the ability to fire him. “Bye...thank you,” he muttered running away before the man could say anything else. He was pretty sure he heard the man laughing but couldn’t be all too sure, not with the way he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was literally so much fun to write omfg I couldn't stop smiling while writing their interaction and first meeting. They're clearly not the same as their canon-selfs but there is a reason for that...I'm literally laughing so hard cuz Tsukki's depressed ass is too much shsjshsjhsj it's only going to go up from here :))  
> *this isn't edited cuz I hate editing and I'm supposed to be resting...  
> **the tags and summary will be updated as the story progresses just because I don't want to accidentally spoil anything for you guys. That said the rating might change as well but that's just because I rated this as in pg 13 so like idk we'll see how the story goes and if this isn't pg 13 friendly, but I'm pretty sure it is  
> ***stay safe y'all and have a good day, also there is no schedule I'm just winging it at this point...

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me in a fever dream as a result of covid lmao, I hope y'all enjoy it :))  
> *hit me up on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lvdm26) to see me live tweet while writing this garbage.  
> **Y'all stay safe and leave a kudo or comment :)) or be wild and do both ;))


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